The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-01-12

I .
which are made directly to me In counec-
tion with the report OF other officials. / refer
70 the report of the char lain, the Rev. DR..
Y; u; Elliott, which speaks for Ittelf, and "a
which ] especially refer.
cannot commend too highly the prese nj
mansgehent Of the main prison and its
branches.
YOUTHS AS cONVIcTS.
respectfully renew my suggestion made
to the REGULAR session. that some hing should
be done for the anne ioration of the condi-
ton of the youths of the prnitentiary. There
are nupbtr there who are quite young,
and It is without doubt to the in terest of the
state, no less than an act in the cause o.
humanity. that the should be kent away, as
lar as pot sible, from evil ass OciatiOns, and
| instructed ia Tho rudimentary branches OF
education at least, that il may be made pos
sible fnr hem to become good citizens 3 fter
their dicoharge from prison.
Whoever 1t has been deemed at all pro-
per, considering the or mes committed, |
have paTdoned youths under the age OF Is
years, and, through the wardens, hav, in
most Instances secured homes for them.
THE ACT OF 1885 TO ALLOW CONVICTS
CREDIT IN DIMINgTI0N OF SEN
FENCES.
This act, c. apter Is, extra session Of the
Legislature OF 1885, applies, apparently, to
| pact as well ms to future sentences, and also
gives certain po@eTs OF communication TO the
| Governor.
The sixth section provides that the act
shall not be obligatory oa the lessees until
| trey asree, in writint. TO accept its provis-
ions as part of their lease. Ibis prOViso ap.
pears to apply to the operation OF the Whole
act. In the case Of Johnson VS.. Warden
Hsrris, moi. yet publ shed, the Sup -eme
| Court held that this provision is valid, and
that the act cannot take effect until agreed
to in writing by the lessess according TO its
terms. had previously addressed letter
TO the lessees, directing their attention to
| tbs act, and particularly TO the sixth section
of th' same. Their reply is TO the feet that
they are willing to agree to the provisions of
| OF the act, provided The State will agree to a
fair credit in their favor to cover the losses
they would sustain through their operation.
| This, think, amOuDt4 TO declining to agree,
in writing, 20 accent the provisions u on ton
ed; anu so the act, unless repealed. remains
in allegiance until the expiration of tho pres
| ent lease. The correspondence Is on HE in
the Executive Office.
THE NORTH CAROLINA BOUNDARY
QUESTION.
In pursuance of the at Of March 2S. 1885
| Chapter 50, page 1880, lookiu e to the running
and establishment o. the line between North
carolina and Ter ne see from Indian Grave
| Gap to the point where the Jonesb0rO aad
| Ash,ville IN. C( road passes through the
Bald Mountain. l opened cor, espondence
with the Governor of North Carolina
| of the subject of the act, and
he appointed y commissioner on the part of
| that state, and May II. 1886, was fixed as the
| day upOn which to begin the running of the
| T. the interest of the North Carolina Com
| n issioner in the boundary question, the
| Counts siOn, RS did not meet on the day set,
and tbs matter was DELAYED until October
IS, 1885, at VIII CD time the Commissioners
q, pointed under the act Of March
%, 1885, and the new Commissioner
on the part of North Carolina, met
at Indian Grave Gap. and began the survey.
IN has tFn1 4 =,
signed by the Commissioner OF North Caro-
lima, but the report of the Tennessee Com
missiopers states that the line was run and
marked distance OF 1853 poles, and as far
this point and near Nolichuckv river the
Commissioners divided, those on the part of
Tennessee following course three degrees
east of south, and the North Carolina Com
missioner following a s0uthwesterly course,
the two lines again unitirg near the top of
Little Bald Huge, the remainder of the line
being readily agreed upon and fixed. So 10
will be seen that the line is still in dispute
point north of tie Nolichucky river, a dis
tduce of some seven miles out of the eighteen
surveyed. The disputed territory embr ces
250C or 5000 acres of land.
The report of the Commissioners and cor
respondence relating to the subject are here
with transmitted for your coo Isl 1eration and
disposit on.
THE VIRGINIA BOUNDARY QUESTION.
| transmit. also, copy of resolution
passed by the legislature of Virginia, at It's
last session, together with the accompany
ing communication from His Excelsncy,
the Governor OF the Commonwealth of Viz
ginia, looking to the establishment of the
boundary line. This is a matter that has
often occupied the attention of the iegisla-
tive assemblies of Virginia. North Carolina
10 1872. the General Assembly of the State
of Tennessee, in RESPONSE to timilar re-
quest on the part OF Virsinia, passed Senate
Joint Resolution No. s Acts 1872, pages $50,
In which the. ground is taken that this
bound ry limo had been fna ly established
in 1903.
That matter is Sc forth at some length in
the report of the Joint Committee on the
Boundary between the States of Tennessee
end Virginia, CT 1872, to which | espsctfully
refer for the information oi tho General AS
sembly as to the m liter in question. This
report will be found in the House Journal,
first extra session of 1872, PAGES 7l-77. fit
is to be understood that the State OF Virg mia
now makes rho same claim as that made in
$50 and 1871, it involves the jurisdicti1 N
over territory one mile in widta adjoining
the whole length of the present Virginia
Tennessee line, and over which this State
hns heretofore exercised jurii dictiOn, at
lie st since 1903.
resi- ectfully suggest that it would not be
advisable to disturb the, ami'y which mas o
long existed between the two States by re-
opening this boundary question, especially
as the line was solemny fixed and estab-
lished in 1903, upon principles of justice and
equity, is well known anu has been acqui-
esced in by the people for many years.
JUDICIARY.
Inasmuch as the omissions of Referees
have constituted very important part of
the judiciary of the state during he past two
years, and in The Middle Division Of the
Statel lave gone out of Office by the expira-
ton OF their tsrm OF office, deem It proper
IN Nnat in ann M nff hn Iors
Der OF cates on the supreme Court docket, at
NaShville, tbs Commissions of Referees for
the Middle Division of the State, sitting at
Nashville, could not complete the labors de-
vOlyed on them by the 18th day Of May, 1885,
and, therefore, the act approved April 4,
1885, chapter 81, was passed, extending the
term Of Off le of The referee1 Tor the Niddle
Division until the LIST day Of May, 1886. pro-
not be sooner finished
Ny Information is, that the Referees at
KNOW lie tried and reported on about 700
cases. and the Referees at.Jackson 790. cases,
and that they disposed OF all cases on their
respective dockets that came within the
provisions Of the act creating the commits
sion.
Tho Referees at Nashville tried and re-
ported on 1893 cases, but left untried 176, tor
want Of tims they were not able to reach.
or the reports Of the Referees acted upon
by the Supreme Court so far about 90 per
cent have been ooDftmed-a TT tribute to
tho emclency ana eOlllty OF the hoterees.
PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
The annual report OF the State Superin-
tendent of Public Instruction, with statisti-
cal tables showing the condition of our pub
lie schools, will be furnished the Legislature
ia due timo. This reports shows the receipts
and disbursements OF public money for
school PURPOSES, the scholastic population of
the State, the enrolment in school and the
average attendance Of pupils, all IF which
show a gratifying improvement and steady
Advancement of our pubic school system.
The total amount Of school funds received
from the State, counties aud other sources,
for the scholastic year ending June SO, 1885,
was 81 400, SS5 49, These figures show an in
crease OF SIS, 1896 Is over the preceding year.
This fund has been dsbursed for salaries of
teachers, school sites, buildiugs, repairs,
fixtures, salary of County superintendent
and fees of District Clerks, TO the amount of
LOG, 459 so. leaving a balance on hand
July l, 1886, of s3l7,S75 50. This is exclusive
Of few counties, the reports of which are
yet incomplete. The report shows our
scholastic population, white at oolored, for
the year ending June 80, 1886, to have been
623 $50, an increase over last year of 1889
There have been erected during the year 273
schoolhouses, at r total cost OF SSl, 7S9, the
greater part of which has been p lid out Of
the school fund lthe title to which is in tho
STATED. A noticeable indication Of progress
is seen in the reports Of institutes held by
the State Superintendent, as we'll as those